The invention relates to a method and a system for protecting dams, designed to allow their dehydration by means of running and condensation of the water present in the dam body and pressureless drainage thereof.
At present, the upstream surface of dams and similar hydraulic structures tends to be protected in order to prevent water seeping throughout the body of the dam. In this connection, protective coatings consisting of concrete, paint or other covering material which adhere completely to the visible surface of the structure are applied. Furthermore, in order to eliminate the water already present in the dam body or any water which has seeped, vertical channels are provided at a predetermined distance from the upstream surface in the dam itself. These systems do not solve the problem adequately since conventional coatings are subject to rapid deterioration both due to climatic and environmental factors and for other reasons. Moreover, the use of vertical channels in the dam body has proved to be of limited effectiveness, owing to the known phenomenon of carbonation of the concrete with time, these channels tending to become blocked and preventing drainage of the water.